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Series

Treasury and Successors: Ceremonial Branch: Order of the British Empire (BE series):...

Catalogue reference: T 343

What's it about?

T 343

Records of the Ceremonial Branch relating to the Order of the British Empire and comprising files on amendments to the statutes of the Order. The statutes currently provide for five principal classes within the Order: for each class to comprise a...

Full description and record details

Reference
T 343
Title
Treasury and Successors: Ceremonial Branch: Order of the British Empire (BE series): records
Date
1916-1996
Description

Records of the Ceremonial Branch relating to the Order of the British Empire and comprising files on amendments to the statutes of the Order. The statutes currently provide for five principal classes within the Order: for each class to comprise a military and a civil division; for overall limits to the numbers in each class and division; for foreigners to be appointed in each class as honorary members outwith the numerical limits; for specified past recipients not to be counted within the numerical limits; for the names of those to be appointed to the civil divisions to be submitted by the prime minister of the United Kingdom or of the Commonwealth country concerned; and for those to be appointed to the military divisions to be submitted by the secretary of state for defence of the United Kingdom or the prime minister of the Commonwealth country concerned.

The 1995 statutes provided, following the expressed wish of the prime minister and the state premiers, that Australian citizens would no longer be considered for appointment.

The statutes provide that the Head of the Order shall be the Head of the Home Civil Service.

The 23rd ordinance provides that military and civil medals of the Order shall be awarded to persons who render meritorious service, to be known as the British Empire Medal.

Related material

Material on awards for military service will be found in: WO 387

Held by
The National Archives, Kew
Former department reference
BE file series
Legal status
Public Record(s)
Language
English
Creator(s)
  • Cabinet Office, Ceremonial Branch, 1982-2001
  • Civil Service Department, Ceremonial Branch, 1968-1981
  • Management and Personnel Office, Ceremonial Branch, 1981-1982
  • Treasury, Ceremonial Branch, 1937-1968
Physical description
76 file(s)
Access conditions
Subject to 30 year closure unless otherwise stated
Immediate source of acquisition

In 2002 Cabinet Office

Custodial history
Transferred to the Civil Service Department in 1968, the Manpower and Personnel Office in 1981 and the Cabinet Office in 1982.
Accumulation dates
File series ran from 1920 to 1970
Administrative / biographical background

King George V created and constituted this order of knighthood by letters patent in the year 1917, the statutes have subsequently been revised at various times.

Record URL
https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/id/C15490/

Catalogue hierarchy

Over 27 million records

This record is held at The National Archives, Kew

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Within the department: T

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Treasury and Successors: Ceremonial Branch: Order of the British Empire (BE series): records